Playstation 3 Video DRM Only Allows One Download

Nom du Keyboard points out an Ars Technica report that the Sony Video Store on the Playstation Network is running some rather restrictive DRM. When purchasing movies, users are allowed just one download — even if they delete the movie to make space and want to download it again on the same machine. A Sony representative told Ars that users could be issued an extra download as a "one-time courtesy" with help from customer support. Quoting: "When we're discussing a system that seems to release new hardware configurations every few months and a company that actively encourages you to swap hard drives yourself, it appears users are going to run into problems if they ever decide they want to switch out their hard drive or even upgrade into a larger system; the information on the back-up utility makes it clear that video content can't be moved over to new system, although new hard drives should be safe. Sony claims that the PS3 is operating on a 10-year timeline: is one extra download, which you need to contact customer service to apply for, good enough for the next decade?"

Comments

Their copyright should be toast

[rtfa-troll]

This is not okay even for rental. When you get a rental video, there's still a real physical video and often the video store ends up selling that off at discount. The most important thing about this is that they are breaking the trade which makes copyright acceptable. In return for their ability to restrict other people's right to copy they should be delivering works that people can keep forever. If they deliberately make that impossible they shouldn't have any right to control other people's copying.

quit whining, people

[j1mmy]

i don't buy groceries and expect to use them more than once